Yoga often involves solitary practice. Even in group classes, each practitioner usually moves through the asanas independently. But there are some excellent two person yoga poses that can help you achieve even more mental and physical benefits. Partner yoga is the perfect way to bond with a good friend!
Some two person yoga poses are closer to partner acro, while others allow practitioners to move through asanas with greater support. Here are ten great BFF 2 person yoga poses to try with your bestie today!
Twisted Lotus
By doubling up the classic lotus position, practitioners can begin bonding through yoga. Plus, this duo pose helps open up the chest and extend spinal flexibility.
- Begin by sitting back-to-back in the lotus position.
- Inhale and raise your arms overhead. As you both exhale, lower your arms and twist the spine. Each person should be resting one hand on their opposite knee and one hand on their partner’s knee.
- Keep your backs straight and pressed together as much as possible.
- Repeat to the other side.
Double Cat-Cow
Begin by synchronizing your breath and warming up the spine and shoulders. Alternating between cat and cow is an excellent movement early in the yoga practice. These two person yoga poses variations help deepen the stretch.
To achieve these two person yoga poses:
- Sit in the lotus position facing each other.
- Grasp each other’s forearms (not the hands).
- As you inhale, drop your shoulders, slide the scapula downward, and arch the back, pushing your chest toward your partner’s. This is double-cat pose (Marjariasana).
- On the exhalation, reverse the movement. Raise the shoulders, allow the scapula to spread apart and upward, and round the back, tipping the top of your head toward your partner’s. This is double-cow pose (Bitilasana).
- Repeat the movement several times, working on synchronizing your breath. Maintain your grip on each other’s arms to help extend your spine and stretch the shoulder muscles.
Double Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Chair pose (Utkatasana) is often challenging as it requires counteracting gravity while simultaneously firing up the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. It’s easier with a partner who can support the pose. Plus, the duo version is a great opportunity to develop your balance.
To achieve this 2-person asana:
- Stand back to back with feet hip-width apart.
- Press your back against your partner’s as you walk your feet forward, progressively bending your knees until you are both in a squat position.
If helpful, link elbows with your partner or hold hands. Otherwise, the arms can be extended in front of your body or resting on your thighs.
Double Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)
Dancer pose (Natarajasana) is ideal for opening the chest, stretching the hips, and practicing one’s balance. It’s sometimes difficult to hold, which is why it’s a perfect duo yoga position!
Partners can support each other in the pose, and as this asana is excellent for aligning the heart chakra, it’s also a fantastic bonding position.
- Begin by facing each other from opposite ends of the yoga mat.
- Inhale and reach your left arms upward, then lower your hands onto each other’s left shoulders.
- Place your weight into your left foot, then bend your right knee and curl your hand around your foot, thumb pointing toward your toes and palm on the instep.
- Kick backward and upward as you squeeze your glutes.
- Press onto each other’s shoulders to help you balance. In this pose, you will lean slightly forward but keep your heads upright and a gentle curve in the back.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
If you struggle with shoulder extension, modify this pose by grasping the outer edge of your foot rather than the instep.
Double Reverse Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
All the warrior asanas are intense, energizing poses that engage the entire body. When done with a partner, practitioners can achieve an extra stretch in an even more dynamic pose.
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) is a high lunge in which the torso faces the side, and the arms extend in alignment with the legs. In Reverse Warrior pose, the practitioner takes the front arm skyward and tilts back to rest the other hand on the bracing leg. It’s perfect for opening the chest and hips and enhancing one’s balance.
Practitioners can enter Reverse Warrior II with a partner to further deepen the stretch. Here’s how:
- Enter Warrior II, facing away from each other with hips pointing in the same direction. (Partner A does a right lunge, and Partner B does a left lunge.) Press the outer edge of your bracing foot against your partner’s.
- Inhale and lift the front arms to the sky, then exhale and tilt backward until your hands can meet. Your other hand can rest on the bracing leg or tuck behind your back.
- Hold hands or press palms into a shared prayer position. Lean into each other, lengthening your oblique as you curve toward your partner. This creates a beautiful heart shape!
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Double Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)
As Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) is a single-foot pose, it requires a lot of balance. Some practitioners struggle to hold the asana long enough to gain the benefits. A friend can help — and when done in a duo, Warrior III achieves a powerful new shape.
Warrior III is ideal for opening the chest and aligning the heart, solar plexus, and sacral chakras. It’s a powerful bonding pose in partner yoga.
- Face each other in mountain pose, far enough apart to just touch each other’s fingertips.
- Inhale and reach upward. As you both exhale, fold at the hips and extend your arms toward your partner, palms down. Keep your biceps by your ears.
- Rest your hands on each other’s shoulders, pausing when parallel to the floor. Then, you both shift your weight into your right leg.
- Extend your left legs behind you into alignment with your torsos. Hold this pose, using each other for balance.
- Exit the pose and repeat, this time extending the right leg.
Double Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Forward fold, or Uttanasana, is a delightful hamstring stretch that helps release neck tension and align the chakras. When done as a partner pose, it relieves even more tension and enhances flexibility.
Here’s how to get into the 2-person variation of forward fold:
- Stand with your backs to each other, slightly apart.
- Bring your chest toward your knees, then reach behind you. Grasp each other’s shins.
- Align the tailbones and sink into the forward fold, pressing against each other for balance.
- Allow the head to hang straight downward.
You may be too far apart if reaching each other’s shins is challenging. Once you get into position, gently pull toward each other. Synchronize your movements to counterbalance them — otherwise, you may fall!
Have one partner enter Uttanasana from a seated position for an even deeper stretch. The other sits facing them, bracing their feet with their own. Grasp each other’s hands and take turns gently pulling each other into the folded position.
Double Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)
Boat pose (Paripurna Navasana) is an excellent asana for engaging the abs and activating the solar plexus. Many practitioners find it to be highly energizing. However, it’s not always easy to achieve, especially if one’s core muscles need strengthening.
Try it with a partner for a bit of extra stability. The double boat pose also enhances hamstring flexibility and strengthens the latissimus.
Here’s how to get into it:
- Sit facing your partner, knees bent, and feet on the floor.
- Hold hands and lean back just enough to raise your feet and press both soles against your partner’s.
- Both of you then slowly straighten your legs, maintaining your grip on each other’s hands. Engage the lower abs and quadriceps to help lift the feet.
- Stabilize your shoulders to avoid curving your back. Gently pull on each other’s hands to keep the shoulders down and the scapulae neutral.
This pose only works if both partners push and pull in equilibrium. It’s a wonderful way to align your movement with your partner’s and use each other’s body weight to strengthen your core.
Airplane to Folded Leaf
Here’s a two person yoga poses sequence for the acrobatically inclined. It begins with an elevated plank in which one partner “bases” the other, called the “flyer.” This is an excellent way to build trust — plus strengthen the core while working against gravity.
The pose then transitions into folded leaf, which relieves spinal tension and promotes trigger point release in the hips.
To move through these 2 person yoga poses:
- The base lies supine on the ground.
- They lift their feet upward, angled into a V-shape.
- The flyer faces their partner and leans forward, pressing their hips against the base’s feet.
- Partners grasp each other’s hands as the base takes the flyer’s weight in their feet.
- Then, the base straightens their legs, lifting the flyer off the ground.
- The flyer engages their glutei and core to make a plank shape, supported by the base’s feet and hands.
- Once both partners feel balanced, the flyer can let go of the base’s hands and extend their arms sideways or forward.
This is an “airplane,” a form of an elevated plank. From there:
- The flyer re-grasps the base’s hands, then hinges forward and widens their legs into a straddle.
- The base may need to adjust their feet to press into the flyer’s inner thighs more than the hip bones.
- The flyer drops their head toward the base’s belly.
- The base can support the flyer’s shoulders by gently cupping them in their hands if needed.
This is a “folded leaf,” which allows the flyer to lengthen their spine and release tension. The pressure against their hip flexors also feels fantastic. Meanwhile, the base feels grounded in the earth, channeling energy throughout their sacral and root chakras.
Child’s Pose – Fish Pose
A dual restorative pose is the perfect way to finish your two person yoga poses practice.
In the classic child’s pose, the practitioner kneels on the floor and folds their upper body forward. While it’s usually an easy pose, tightness in the lower back or hips can prevent one from achieving a complete asana.
A partner can help by using their bodyweight to gently press down on the person in the child’s pose. They can do this by entering the fish pose (Matsyasana) over their back.
Here’s how it works:
- One person enters child’s pose.
- The other kneels behind them, facing the opposite direction. Then, they extend backward, aligning their sacrum and spine with their partner.
This duo asana helps the first person relieve tension and extend their child’s pose further, while the second person gently opens their chest and stretches their belly.
Wrapping Up BFF 2 Person Yoga Poses
Doing two person yoga poses with your best friend can be an amazing bonding exercise. Plus, many asanas become more effortless or more dynamic with a partner. Moving through these two person yoga poses helps improve balance and flexibility, strengthen underutilized muscles, and gain a deeper sense of integrity and alignment.
Cleanse your chakras and restore your energy with a good friend. Yoga is the perfect way! Learn more or book classes at Zuda.
